What was looking like one of the better trade deadlines in years in the NHL is shaping up to be a lot less exciting.

According to Mark Everson the New York Post, the Devils are not going to trade their star forward Zach Parise this season. Instead, if they can't sign him before next season they will trade his rights before free agency begins.

He joins Ryan Suter and Tim Gleason as names that seemingly have come off the market in the last couple of days. Suter let it be known at the All-Star Game that he wasn't going to sign an extension in Nashville before the trade deadline.

The Devils didn't actually have anybody at the All-Star Game but they still had some news coming out. Essentially confirming reports of the team's financial troubles, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league has been helping the Devils financially but is not propping the franchise up or running it the way it has been the Coyotes.

Naturally the two seem connected, Parise and the financial outlook that is. Parise is still a young star who is going to command a large salary over many years. The timing just isn't good for the Devils as you have to wonder if they could even afford right now to re-sign Parise as much as they'd like to. And you know they'd like to.

But like the Predators and Suter, if they are going to have a good chance to re-sign their star, they need to win this season. Granted for Parise money might play a little bigger factor -- specifically, do they have it? -- but the Devils are in the thick of things for a playoff berth in the East this season. One thing Parise would like to see before re-signing is that he can win in New Jersey.

It's a risk for GM Lou Lamoriello no doubt. But it isn't an incredibly big risk. If the Devils aren't able to find the finances to keep Parise (or he just doesn't want to stay in New Jersey) then there will be a lot of teams trying to get those exclusive negotiating rights. Typically, those kind of deals don't net big returns and I'm not saying Parise would either, but if push comes to shove, the bounty for those rights should be decent to good based on how desirable Parise would be.

His numbers are down a little bit this season with 15 goals and 25 assists, but it was only two years ago that Parise was coming off a 38-goal season, his fourth straight season with more than 30 goals.

Remember all of that time we spent on NHL realignment last month, and how different the league was going to look during the 2012-13 season, all the way down to a new playoff format? Well, it's not happening. At least not at the moment.

The NHL announced on Friday evening that league will maintain its current divisional alignment and playoff format for next season because the NHLPA did not approve of the new plan. In case you didn't remember, the league's CBA is up after this season, and it's pretty clear that the players want to use realignment as a bargaining chip for those discussions.

Here's what NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement released by the league:

"It is unfortunate that the NHLPA has unreasonably refused to approve a Plan that an overwhelming majority of our Clubs voted to support, and that has received such widespread support from our fans and other members of the hockey community, including Players. We have now spent the better part of four weeks attempting to satisfy the NHLPA’s purported concerns with the Plan with no success. Because we have already been forced to delay, and as a result are already late in beginning the process of preparing next season’s schedule, we have no choice but to abandon our intention to implement the Realignment Plan and modified Playoff Format for next season."

"We believe the Union acted unreasonably in violation of the League’s rights. We intend to evaluate all of our available legal options and to pursue adequate remedies, as appropriate."

This is what the new proposal would have looked like:

Later in the night the NHLPA issued a statement of its own (and it's a long one).

“On the evening of December 5, 2011, the NHL informed the NHLPA that they proposed to put in place a four-conference format beginning with the 2012-13 season. As realignment affects Players’ terms and conditions of employment, the CBA requires the League to obtain the NHLPA’s consent before implementation. Over the last month, we have had several discussions with the League and extensive dialogue with Players, most recently on an Executive Board conference call on January 1. Two substantial Player concerns emerged: (1) whether the new structure would result in increased and more onerous travel; and (2) the disparity in chances of making the playoffs between the smaller and larger divisions.

In order to evaluate the effect on travel of the proposed new structure, we requested a draft or sample 2012-13 schedule, showing travel per team. We were advised it was not possible for the League to do that. We also suggested reaching an agreement on scheduling conditions to somewhat alleviate Player travel concerns (e.g., the scheduling of more back-to-back games, more difficult and lengthier road trips, number of border crossings, etc.), but the League did not want to enter into such a dialogue. The travel estimation data we received from the League indicates that many of the current Pacific and Central teams, that have demanding travel schedules under the current format, could see their travel become even more difficult. On the playoff qualification matter, we suggested discussing ways to eliminate the inherent differences in the proposed realignment, but the League was not willing to do so.

The League set a deadline of January 6, 2012 for the NHLPA to provide its consent to the NHL’s proposal. Players’ questions about travel and concerns about the playoff format have not been sufficiently addressed; as such, we are not able to provide our consent to the proposal at this time. We continue to be ready and willing to have further discussions should the League be willing to do so.”

This all means that, as of right now, the Winnipeg Jets (previously the Atlanta Thrashers) will remainin the Eastern Conference and the Southeast Division for another season and continue to play the Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthes and Carolina Hurricanes.

It also means that the CBA talks will be loads of fun. And by fun, I mean total chaos.